antagonistic

American  

[an-tag-uh-nis-tik] / ænˌtæg əˈnɪs tɪk /

adjective

1. acting in opposition; opposing, especially mutually.

2. hostile; unfriendly.

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Other Word Forms

• antagonistically adverb
• nonantagonistic adjective
• nonantagonistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of antagonistic

First recorded in 1625–35; antagonist + -ic

Example Sentences

Díaz doesn’t expect openly antagonistic messaging at the halftime show — perhaps the lighter-blue Puerto Rican independence flag as a covert anti-occupation gesture.

From Los Angeles Times

Peller noted “consternation around the potential for an antagonistic approach towards not only issuers but broader financials despite what was believed to be a lenient regulatory environment.”

From MarketWatch

This was confirmed when Egypt traded in its limited success to come over to the American side, but Syria remained stubbornly antagonistic.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to Nishimura, "These findings reveal that the same stem cell population can follow antagonistic fates -- exhaustion or expansion -- depending on the type of stress and microenvironmental signals."

From Science Daily

Danny and Lena, the show’s main characters, find themselves unofficial partners in the two episodes out for review, as they go from antagonistic to affectionate.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• combative
• hostile
• inimical
• unfriendly